Hand tire-groover



Fgb. 18, 1936. w. F. ERRIG El AL HAND TIRE GROOVER Filed Feb. 28, 1935 4/ i4? G'ewye MP/imdl,

I! Nu INVENTO aim Will

ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb- 1 [1935 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAND TIRE-GROOVER William F. Errig, Philadelphia, and George M. Pfundt, Churchville, Pa., assignors to Peco Manufacturing Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 28, 1935, Serial No. 8,708

12 Claims. (Cl. 30-20) This invention generally relates to tire-groovimproved hand tire-groover in accordance with ing devices by means of which both circumferthis invention. 'ential, cross and otherwise directed grooves may Fig. 2 is a similar elevation with the left-hand be rapidly re-cut in the tread of a tire, or by the portion mainly in longitudinal section for better use of which previously formed grooves that have illustration of otherwise hidden structural feabecome reduced and by wearing down of the tire t r tread may be readily restored to their normal Fig. 3 is a perspec ve View o the ov eeflective condition. ment or cutter, hereinafter fully explained.

More speciflcallythis invention has reference Fi 4 is a cr sscti n n h plan desigto the type of hand operated tire-groover includa d in ing means for heating the grooving element or Fi 5 is a'similar cro -s ion on h t blade whereby the grooving operation is more er d plane designated 5-51 F a rapidly efiected. Fig. 6 is a like cross-section on the staggered The general object of this invention is to proplane designated 6-6 in Fig. 1. 5 vide an improved form of hand tire-groover i Like characters of reference indicate correwhich the heating unit is arranged so that the p n Parts in all the figur While the Viewbody of the tool is maintained comparatively-c001, ingof the cross-section is in the direction of the with incidental increase of efliciency and a mateassociated a ws f t p ane marki s in F rial reduction in operating expense, In accordance with the particular embodiment Another object is to p'rovideaha d-ti b .of the invention illustrated the improved tirein which the cutting element is so formed and groove! Co p a main manipulating supported relative to the holder shoe that a. minihaving a socket i in which the heat Insulatmum of heat conductionto said shoe results with 8 handle 8 is cur y a p y a Set-Screw consequent increase in the general efliciency of in an bv a e a e 8 d the groover. socket l are suitably apertured for passage there- A further object. i th provision of tirethrough of'a flexible conductor, such as an elecgroover of the indi t d type equipped with a trio cable I 0 havmg at its outer end a convendouble-edged cutting element which can be eastlonal f delflce ily adjusted for cutti groove f djfl e t (Jo-extensive with the socket portion 1 is a depths either while n or'previous to using the shank i2 terminating in spaced holder portions t jointly forming the groover shoe sections it, be-

A still f m tween which is located and sustained the groovgmover g gfii f gfgf fg ffigfi ggj ing blade I4 hereinafter fully explained. The

3 with a handle that lends itself to ease in operashank it Is to be noted preferably embodies on pf the grower; said groover being also longitudinally-spaced integral portions l5 that terminate in the shoe sections l3, said portions equipped an mafia handle adapted l5 being united by bridge braces i6, H, the

right-or-left hand placement relative to the tireformer of which l6 has an aperture Hi theregroover whereby guida'lice of the groove'cuttmg through for a purpose later on set forth. Threadoperation is greatly facilitated. t

Other oblectsand advanta es of this invention edly passing through the brace 1S tubular Wm be i ted t t i stud l9 fitted with an upwardly-acting plunger Don m e e aled descnptmn pin 20 under the influence of a. spring 2|, that thereof which i or Wm become apparent coacts with a groove 22 in the underside of a from such description bracket portion 23 of the heater holder 2 to lock In order that the t 'f may be readlly the latter stationary as well as restrained from 45 derstood and its practlba'l advantages fully lateral movement. This heater. holder 24, it will Preciatedreference a had F Qh accom' be seen, is angularly-related with respect to the Pan-17mg Sheet of drawmg 1n Whlch 1s depicted shank l2'and in the nature of a tubular device, one form of embodiment thereof- However, it is having the bracket portion 23 integral therewith,

to be understood that changes in the details of as well as a forwardly-directed forked foot-piece co s u may e made Within the s e of 25 with the undersides transversely grooved at 26. t fbllOWing claims Without d parting from the The heater 2'! is of conventional character and fundamentals of the invention. includes a coil 28 connected to the flexible con- In the drawing:-. ductor l0; while the holder 24 is surrounded by a. Fig. 1. is a side elevation of one form of the suitable heat insulating packing 29 clamped thereabout by a spring shield 30; and 3| is an axial orifice through the lower or forward end of the holder to enable easy ejection of the heater unit when spent or defective.

Threadedly engaged in the holder forked footpiece is a stud 32 which passes freely through the correspondingly-threaded or fluted-aperture I8 in the shank bridge brace l6, and it will be readily seen, more particularly by reference to Figs. 2 and 5 that by coaction ofthe stud 32, or circumferentially-grooved shank thereof, with the threaded or fluted aperture ll! of the bridge piece l6 that the heater holder foot piece 25 can be variably arrested and positionally held, longitudinally, relative to the groover shoe l3, as later on more fully explained. The bridge brace l6 constitutes a fulcrum for the stud 32 about which the heater holder is adapted to be rocked during adjustment of the foot piece 25.

Referring again to the tire cutting element or grooving blade l4 it will be best appreciated, from Figs. 3 and 4, the same is of somewhat U-shaped cross-section with lateral flanking flanges 33, of a dimension to snugly fit the foot-piece transverse grooves 26. These flanges 33 are formed with downward embossments or teats 34 for point contact with the confronting upper faces of the groove shank shoe portions I3; while the side walls of the grooving blade l4 may have opposing outwardly-projecting ridges 35 for similar coaction with the inner upper edges of said shoe portions 13. Furthermore, the grooving blade ll has both of its curved ends beveled to provide double cutting-edges 36 whereby it can be readily reversed should one edge become dulled or otherwise defective; and it is preferably made from tightly tempered strip metal, thereby ensuring long and accurate service.

Conveniently, although not essentially, through the bridge brace l6, below the aperture l8 therein, is a transverse bore 31 for insertion of a rod 38 having a heat-insulating finger grasp-39, and it will be readily understood from Fig. 5, said rod 38 may be inserted from either side of the bridge piece I6, and that it can be clamped in place by the set screw 40, in an obvious manner; said finger grasp facilitating guidance of the tire grooving device during operation and more particularly when cutting cross or inclined grooves.

In use it will be readily understood that by re.- tracting the tubular stud I!) from the illustrated position of Figs. 1, 2, as by a screw driver applied to the cross-cut ll, the heater holder 24 will be released, whereupon the forked foot 25 can be moved longitudinally of the groover shank l2 to give the grooving blade II the desired projection below the shoe l3, whereupon by tightening-up or a reverse turning of the stud l9, said foot 25 and blade [4 will be locked against relative movement with respect to the shoe l3. through co-' action of the screw 32 with the fluted aperture IQ of the cross brace I6, as hereinbefore described. It will also be understood that the blade I4 is readily insertable in, or removable from the foot piece transverse grooves 26, and that it is securely clamped in place atthe desired adjustment when the screw stud 20 is tightened up as aforesaid. Furthermore, by virtue-of the point contacts of the teats 34 and ridges 35 with the forked shoe sections l3 little, or a negligible heat conduction is transmitted to said shoe sections; or in other words substantially all of the heat from the heater 21 is conducted direct to the blade I4 where it is needed and with no discomfort to the operator. Cutting of circumferential,

, underside of the holder foot piece,

cross, or otherwise directed grooves in the tire 42, indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 1, 2, will be so self-evident to those conversant with the art that a'detailed explanation herein is deemed unnecessary; while it will be obvious that the device ll may be plugged into any convenient socket connecting with a source of electric current.

From the foregoing description of this invention, it should be evident that various changes and modifications from the illustrated disclosure may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of said invention as defined by the following claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a tire-groover the combination of a manipulating member with a handle at one end and a shoe section at the other, said shoe section having its upper surface rearwardly inclined, a spacedly-related heater holder having a forwardly-directed foot piece for coaction with the shoe section inclined surface, a grooving blade engaging the holder'foot piece, means whereby the grooving blade is clamped between the foot piece and shoe section so as to project below the latter, and the grooving blade having portions adapted to be slidably adjusted on the shoe section inclined surface to produce various depths of its projection below said section.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the shoe section and foot piece embody spacedly-confronting forks, and said foot piece has -a transverse groove in its underside for seating retention of the grooving blade.

3. In a tire groover the combination of a manipulating member with a handle at one end and -a forked shoe section at the other, said shoe section having its top surface upwardly and rearwardly inclined, a heater holder supported over the manipulating member and embodying a forwardly-directed foot piece adapted for slidable movement lengthwise of the shoe section inclined surface, a grooving blade seated in a transverse groove in the underside of the heater holder foot piece, means whereby the heater holder and grooving blade can be moved and the latter set at various depths of projection below the manipulator shoe section, and upwardly acting means carried by the manipulating member and engaging the heater holder to arrest the grooving blade at the requisite adjustment.

4. In a tire groover the combination of a ma.- nipulating member with a handle at one end and a forked shoe section at the other, said shoe section having an upper surface inclined upwardly and rearwardly, an angularly-related heater holder having a forwardly-directed foot-piece adapted for slidable adjustment along the shoe section inclined surface, a grooving blade having portions seated in a groove transversely in the said blade portions being adapted to be slidably adjusted along the shoe section inclined surface to produce various depths of its projection below said section, means for variably setting the heater holder and foot piece relative to the manipulating member, and means for securely holding the parts aforesaid so adjusted.

5. In a hand tire groover the combination of a manipulating member with a handle at one end and a forked shoe section at the other, said shoe section having its upper forked surfaces upwardly and rearwardly inclined, an angularly-related heater holder having a forwardly-directed footpiece, a grooving blade having portions seated in a groove transversely in the underside of the holder foot piece, means for variably adjusting said holder along the inclined surfaces to produce various depths of its projection below said shoe section, spring-influenced means for holding the parts aforesaid in adjusted relation, and an auxiliary finger grasp carried by the manipulate ing member for facilitating guidance of the groover during operation.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein the grooving blade is of somewhat U-shaped crosssection, the said seated portions constituting flanges adapted to snugly fit the. transverse groove in the underside of the heater-holder foot piece, said blade having both of'its curved ends beveled to provide reversible cutting edges, and teats formed in the flanges to aiford point contact with the manipulating member shoe.

'7. The combination of claim 5 wherein the grooving blade is of somewhat U-shaped crosssection, the said seated portions constituting flanges adapted to snugly fit the transverse groove in the underside of the heater-holder foot piece, said blade having both of its curved ends beveled to provide reversible cutting edges, and the flanges have teats and the side walls of the blade have outwardly directed ridges to respectively provide point contacts for engaging. the manipulating member inclined surfaces and their confronting inner upper edges.

8. The combination of claim 5 wherein the means for variably adjusting and holding the heater holder relative to the manipulating member comprises an apertured bridge piece integral with said member, said aperture being internally grooved, a correspondingly-grooved stud projecting rearwardly from the heater holder foot piece to engage the aperture, and a threaded tubular adjusting stud enclosing said spring influenced holding means.

9. The combination of claim 5 wherein the means for holding the manipulating member and heater holder relatively adjusted comprises a tubular screw stud supported by the manipulating member, and said stud includes a spring-influenced plunger-pin for coaction with a grooved against rotation.

11. In a tire groover the combination with a manipulating member including a shoe section having an upwardly and rearwardly inclined surface, a heater holder supported on the member and having a foot piece adapted for slidable adjustment along the inclined surface aforesaid, a grooving blade having portions inter-engaged with the foot piece, and means for clamping the blade portions between the foot piece and shoe section whereby, as-the foot piece is adjusted on the inclined surface of the shoe section, the blade will produce various depths of cutter projection below said shoe section.

12. In a tire groover the combination with a manipulating member having a shoe section having upwardly and rearwardly inclined surfaces, of a foot piece slidable thereon, a grooving blade between the foot piece and shoe section and interlocked with said foot piece, a heater holder connected with the foot piece, and means for adjusting the heater holder and thus the foot piece longitudinally on the inclined surfaces of the shoe section and manipulating member, thereby to variably regulate the depth of the groove cut in the tire.

WILLIAM F. ERRIG. GEORGE M. PFUNDT. 

